Transmigrated Into The True Heiress-Chapter 35: Sucks

The alarm clock blared in the stillness of the room, its sharp tone cutting through the silence and forcing Eira awake. She shot up, slamming her palm onto the offending device, silencing it with a glare. The relentless ringing felt like nails scraping against the inside of her skull.

[Good morning Master.]

[Ugh, good morning.]

Weak, disoriented, and still half-asleep, Eira ran a hand through her tangled hair and let out a frustrated sigh.

Damn it. Being a teenager sucks. Going to school sucks. Not to talk of all those damn spoiled bitches and jerks she will have to see in school.

With a groan, she flopped back onto the bed, staring at the blank, white ceiling as if it held all the answers she sought. She counted the seconds in her head, waiting for the inevitable visit Elma had warned her about the previous night.

One minute... two minutes... three, four, five, six, seven, and—

Right on cue, there were two brisk knocks, followed by the creak of the door. "Ephyra, dear, time to get ready for school. Oh! You’re already awake?"

"Yeah," Eira sat up, rubbing her eyes, and gestured lazily at the alarm clock.

Elma offered a gentle smile as she approached the bed. "I figured it wouldn’t wake you since you stayed up late studying. Thought I’d come to wake you myself." She walked to the window and pulled the curtains open, letting sunlight flood the room. "How are you feeling? Not too tired or in any pain?"

Eira stretched and yawned, blinking against the sudden brightness. "Just a bit sleepy. I’ll go take a shower."

"Alright, I’ll lay out your uniform."

"Thanks," Eira mumbled, giving a small, appreciative smile before disappearing into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, Eira emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy bathrobe, feeling refreshed. She paused as she noticed the old uniform and scuffed sneakers Elma had set out. A frown tugged at her lips—she’d forgotten to tell Elma about her new clothes.

Without a word, she gathered the worn-out garments and tucked them neatly into the bottom of her wardrobe. She pulled out three sleek boxes, setting them on the bed with a small sense of anticipation. As she unpacked them, she paused at the last one. Beneath the dark Mary Jane shoes, she felt something thick.

Curious, she peeled back the white tissue paper to reveal a black leather jacket.

"What the...?" she muttered, holding up the oversized jacket. "Did they pack this by mistake?"

She shrugged, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. Well, if it’s here, it’s mine now.

Eira quickly dressed in the new uniform: a crisp white shirt, a slim burgundy tie, and a burgundy plaid skirt, that stopped at her midthigh. She left the official school blazer folded neatly, hanging on the bedpost. She sat down at her vanity, pulling on white knee-length socks and lacing up a pair of Chanel platform sneakers. After that, she grabbed a brush and a headband, brushing her hair into a sleek, low bun with two loose, curly strands framing her face.

Satisfied with her look, she grabbed the black leather jacket, shrugging it over her shoulders. It was way too big, the hem almost touching the edge of her skirt, and the sleeves hung well past her fingertips. She couldn’t help but laugh at her reflection, striking a cute high school girl pose and snapping a few front selfie and mirror selfies.

Just then, her phone buzzed with an incoming call.

Frowning, Eira glanced at the caller ID. It was Jania.

"Why is she calling?" Eira muttered, accepting the call. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked dryly, crossing her arms. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Jania’s light laughter drifted over the line. "Always so prickly, Ephyra."

"Actually, my mood was fine until you called," Eira shot back, rolling her eyes. "What do you want?"

"Fine, straight to the point. Those two guards who escorted you home yesterday? They haven’t left. They’ve been assigned to keep watch over you. And–"

"What? Where the hell are they staying then?"

"Nearby. And listen, in one of those boxes, there should be a leather jacket—"

"I already found it," Eira interrupted, glancing down at the oversized jacket she was wearing. She heard Jania’s exasperated sigh and grinned.

"Good. You need to return it after school. A driver will pick you up and bring you back here. Is that alright?"

"What? I thought it was mine." Eira’s brow furrowed.

"Not quite," Jania explained patiently. "Since you can’t stay with Master Aelion yet and there’s no way to fully mask your scent, wearing something of his is the next best thing."

Eira froze. "Wait... this jacket belongs to him? You mean to tell me he’s going to wear it after I do? How many times has he used it?"

"It’s brand new, actually," Jania replied, sounding a little amused. "He’ll wear it after you bring it back."

"Is it going to be washed? But won’t washing it erase the scent?" Eira asked skeptically.

"The sweatpants and T-shirt you wore last time were washed, but Master Lyle said the scent remained. So, no."

Eira scoffed, shaking her head. "What, does he have some superhuman sense of smell? Is he a werewolf or something?"

There was a long silence on the other end.

"Seriously, Eira..." Jania’s voice was exasperated.

"I’m just saying," Eira replied lightly. "Fine, I get it. I’ll bring the jacket back after school. Goodbye." She hung up abruptly, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she left the room and headed downstairs.

As she reached the bottom step, she spotted Eliot and Marianna at the breakfast table. Eliot was calmly eating while Marianna leaned toward him, her voice desperate as she pleaded.

Eira turned to leave quietly, but her father’s voice stopped her mid-step. "Ephyra, are you leaving already? Won’t you have breakfast?"

She pasted a polite smile on her face and turned around. "I have to get to school early, Dad. I missed class yesterday, so I need to submit my assignments."

Eira caught Marianna’s angry glare, and her smile deepened.

"But you should eat something," Eliot insisted, his tone firm. "Even if it’s just a little."

"It’s okay, Dad," she said, picking up a slice of toast. She took a small bite and sipped some tea before setting the half-eaten toast back on the plate. "There, happy?"

"Alright," Eliot relented with a nod. "Take care."

"Bye, Dad!" Eira waved, quickly slipping out the door with her bag.

Eliot’s gaze followed her, his expression serious.

"Eliot, please," Marianna’s voice trembled with frustration. "Myra knows she made a mistake. She’s promised not to do it again. Just give her another chance."

Eliot’s face hardened as he stood and grabbed his suit jacket. "No. I’m not changing my decision. Drop it." He started toward the door, but paused just before leaving. "I won’t be home tonight. If Ephyra asks, tell her I have a business appointment."

"Eliot! What do you mean?" Marianna’s voice rose, panic edging into her tone as she stood up to follow him but Eliot’s assistant stepped forward, blocking her path.

"Apologies, ma’am, but we’re already behind schedule," he said with a bow and left.

Marianna watched them leave, her face a mask of fury and resentment.

••

All the way to school, a car with tinted windows trailed behind their car.

Eira wasn’t alarmed—she knew it was the bodyguards assigned to her. However, the driver was a different story, glancing nervously at the rearview mirror every other minute.

With a sigh, she pulled out her phone and called Jania. "Tell them not to be so obvious," Eira said. Jania’s amused laughter echoed on the other end before she promised to pass on the message.

"[Master, would you like detailed information on the bodyguards?]" The AI’s voice interrupted her thoughts, but Eira waved it off. She didn’t need to dig into their backgrounds. They were under orders to protect her, and even if they harbored ill intentions, it wouldn’t end well for them. But she was at a disadvantage—no weapon or firearm if something went wrong.

Maybe she should get a gun. But acquiring one legally was impossible, and she didn’t have access to the black market’s cheaper alternatives. Perhaps she should ask Jania.

At last, she arrived at school. The atmosphere was a far cry from two days ago when every single student either ignored, mocked, or ridiculed her. Now, most simply ignored her, while others whispered in hushed voices. Some still stared at her anyway.

Blocking them out, she headed straight to her classroom.

Upon entering, her gaze instinctively went to the front row. No sign of Malia or her sister. Not here yet.

Eira moved to her usual seat, noticing someone occupying the chair beside her. If she remembered correctly, that seat had been empty until now. A boy—slightly shorter than her—with long black hair sat there, focused on his phone, chewing the end of a pen. A spread of open books lay in front of him, his expression serious.

Ignoring him, she sat down and dropped her bag on her desk, when a soft voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Uhm, Ephyra?" Eira turned to her left, assuming it was the girl seated there, but a light tap on her shoulder made her glance back. The sight that met her eyes was...unexpected.

The boy beside her had the most beautiful androgynous face she’d ever seen. She blinked, caught off guard by the delicate, almost ethereal features.

"I, uh... I heard what happened on Monday," he said quietly. "And about your near-death accident. I wanted to say I’m sorry. I was expecting to see you yesterday, but you didn’t come, so I was worried. Are you alright? Were you hurt?"

He was so fucking expressive. It threw her off.

"Uhh, Ephyra?" he repeated, breaking her out of her daze.

"Oh, I’m fine. No injuries," Eira replied, her memory catching up to her. "What about you? Why weren’t you at school on Monday?"

The boy was Cyran Carver, the timid third son from the second branch of the Carver family—cousin to Roi and Emrys Carver. A soft-hearted, gentle, but undeniably pampered soul.

No surprise he was Ephyra’s study partner.

"My mother insisted I go to the hospital for my monthly check-up," Cyran explained with a shy smile.

Oh, right. Sickly, too.

"Everything okay?" Eira asked, raising an eyebrow.

His smile wavered, but he quickly plastered it back. "Yes, everything’s fine. No problems," he lied, but she didn’t press. They were merely study partners, after all.

"Okay."

"Do you want yesterday’s notes? I made them extra detailed for you," Cyran offered, his tone eager.

Eira considered for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."

Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the classroom’s entrance. Eira looked up to see Malia and Orla striding in, flanked by a guy she didn’t recognize.